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enGuangzhou Evergrande Taobao v Al Ahli: Chinese champs want to reward fansGuangzhou Evergrande Taobao host Al Ahli in the return leg of the AFC Champions League final on Saturday, with the decider all square.https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/guangzhou-evergrande-taobao-v-al-ahli-chinese-champs-want-reward-fans
China international forward Gao Lin said Chinese fans need Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao to win the AFC Champions League final.
Guangzhou welcome Emirati visitors Al Ahli to Tianhe Stadium for Saturday's return leg, with the decider still up for grabs.
The 10 men of Al Ahli held on for a goalless draw in the opening game on November 7.
Guangzhou are now facing a make-or-break 90 minutes on home soil and Gao insisted the Chinese champions carry the hopes of a nation as they bid to add to their 2013 continental title.
"The Chinese fans need a team like Guangzhou Evergrande to win the AFC Champions League title," said Gao.
"We all know that Chinese football is slowly developing, but victory in this game will give it a big push. This way we can build confidence in the Chinese players as well as fans in China; and they will not lose any hope in Chinese football.
"A lot of Chinese fans are supporting us to win on Saturday and we have a chance to reward that faith."
Al Ahli - competing in their first Champions League final - will be without right-back Abdulaziz Husain for the trip to Guangzhou.
Husain was sent off after lashing out at substitute Gao in an off-the-ball incident in the 84th minute in Dubai.
Al Ahli defender Salmin Khamis, though, remains optimistic about his team's chances of claiming silverware.
"This is the first time we have reached the final and so we were quite cautious in the first half in Dubai, but in the second period we dominated proceedings but we couldn't score," said Khamis via the Asian Football Confederation's official website.
"Things would have been different going into the second leg had we scored, but eventually we still got a good result.
"However, I hope that we can have a better performance in China and win the AFC Champions League title."news_articleThu, 19 Nov 2015 05:40:03 +0000Anonymous482101 at https://www.fourfourtwo.comEast Asian Cup Preview: Japan v ChinaJapan enter the East Asian Cup as favourites and will be looking to start the tournament with a win over China on Sunday.https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/east-asian-cup-preview-japan-v-china
With their group-stage exit from the Confederations Cup still fresh in their minds, Japan will undoubtedly be eyeing the title in South Korea.
Alberto Zaccheroni has named an experimental squad, just like two of the other three competing teams, with only four members of the outfit which travelled to Brazil surviving.
The Italians 23-man squad has been drawn exclusively from the J.League but another poor showing would increase the pressure on a coach who has enjoyed a trouble-free three years at the helm.
Zaccheroni insists players can earn their spot in his squad for Brazil 2014 with strong performances but two who missed out are the leading scorers in Japans domestic league.
Hisato Sato and Yoshito Okubo were overlooked for selection despite scoring 13 and 12 goals respectively in the league this season.
Zaccheroni has challenged his men to show they can perform at international level and they can also make history by lifting the title for the first time.
Defender Yuichi Komano is their most experienced player in a vastly inexperienced squad, with seven having received their first call-ups.
Included are five players from the Japan side which finished fourth at the 2012 London Olympics, including Cerezo Osaka forward Yoichiro Kakitani.
Fu Bo will lead China at the tournament after the sacking of head coach Juan Antonio Camacho in June.
China were hammered 5-1 by Thailand in a friendly which led to the Spaniards dismissal and they also made a slow start to their 2015 Asian Cup qualifying campaign.
The two-time champions, who failed to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, are close to full strength.
Qu Bo and Gao Lin will lead the way up front, while 32-year-old Zheng Zhi captains China from midfield.
The contrast in experience makes for an interesting clash early in the tournament and Zaccheroni will be eager to avoid defeat.
news_articleFri, 19 Jul 2013 01:59:57 +0000Anonymous76 at https://www.fourfourtwo.com